One of the biggest challenges we face as individuals is how we manage our energy.

Too many of us limp into the weekend in a state of exhaustion and relief. And if we put a young family into the equation, then that relief doesn't last long. The pace of working life has been increasing for some time and since the advent of social media — and with it, the always-on culture of 24/7 availability — we have lost the protection that pre-digital boundaries offered.

Now, with the onset of homeworking due to Covid-19, the boundaries between work and home life have become even more blurred. The simple fact is that exhaustion and stress have become an epidemic that companies cannot ignore. And the cost does not just stop with organizations. If our energy reserves are low, we are seriously reduced in our capacity to love and be present at home, so our family life suffers too. The two are inseparable.

The last few years have seen an increase in the demands and drains on resilience in the workplace, yet corporate wellbeing programmes are often woefully inadequate in addressing the problem, as it is so deep and pervasive. It's not that the help offered is wrong — far from it — it's just that it often is not holistic enough to address the challenge properly. And that challenge is very clear.

There is an energy deficit which leads to exhaustion, burnout and depression. In other words, too many of us are running on empty for too long. And our numbers are growing frighteningly quickly.

This book has been designed to help with this problem. While relatively simple in design, the RECHARGE! model is designed to be a potent and holistic personal development tool in its own right, as well as providing a powerful approach to looking after yourself and recharging your batteries.

A lot of thinking about building resilience is defensive — how do I react when I'm on my knees or coping with a tragic, often unexpected, event? The RECHARGE! model can help here — we know it from personal experience! That said, the RECHARGE! model is one that is based on flourishing; it is proactive and preventative as well as defensive and reactive.

We have used a battery metaphor because our mobile phones, which run on batteries, get depleted by use, and if we don't recharge them overnight, we start getting low battery alerts. If we ignore them, an impressively powerful bit of kit stops functioning altogether. Humans are like that too. If you keep taking and don't recharge, you will get plenty of warning signs, and if you ignore them, your quality of functioning will diminish and eventually stop! Sound dramatic? Check out the story of António Horta-Osório, Group Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group. He didn't recharge and paid a high price for this.

Sadly, many people, faced by the overwhelming pressures of life, are more concerned about recharging their smart phone each night than recharging themselves. And it shows! We all carry a level of resilience charge, and when you meet people, you instinctively get a sense of their charge levels. We are generally not drawn to people who are running on empty. Recharging as well as being concerned with our sense of wellbeing also affects how attractive and influential we are.

You will most likely already have some recharge practices, or else you wouldn't be reading this book. But our experience of working with thousands of leaders and professionals is that that you will benefit from strengthening these practices — for all the reasons mentioned earlier. This will help you to flourish.

This book, based on comprehensive research, will show you how. In fact, EVERY part of the RECHARGE! Model is present because of solid evidence that backs up how it can support both your flourishing and replenish your resilience charge. We cite our research throughout as well as supporting it with stories and examples.

Matthew Gregory

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